Curated OER
Examining Secondary Sources: The American Revolution
Learners who have a grasp on the events of the Revolutionary war view clips from five different films as secondary sources. They take notes on each clip thinking about historic inaccuracies. They then view parts of the film The Patriot...
Aspen Institute
The Voice That Challenged a Nation
Included here are step-by-step instructions for conducting a close reading of The Voice That Challenged a Nation by Russell Freedman. After an individual and class reading, class members read carefully through the text excerpt,...
iCivics
Drafting Board: Electoral College
Should the president of the United States be voted by the Electoral College or the popular vote? Your young historians will consider the pros and cons of the Electoral College, and make an argument using reasons and evidence provided in...
Curated OER
Critical Analysis #1: "Videotape" Don DeLillo
In this critical analysis worksheet, students read "Videotape" by Don DeLillo and discuss the relevance of the author and date of publication, the general topic, and determine the type of writing. Students also summarize the work.
K20 LEARN
Barbie™: Blessing Or Curse? Style, Format, And Genre
How does a writer's choice of genre, style, and format impact the effectiveness of an argument about a social issue? After reading a poem and an essay about Barbie dolls, class members choose a social issue important to them, select a...
Albert Shanker Institute
Economic Causes of the March on Washington
Money can't buy happiness, but it can put food on the table and pay the bills. The first of a five-activity unit teaches pupils about the unemployment rate in 1963 and its relationship with the March on Washington. They learn how to...
Curated OER
Toulmin Argument Essay
After viewing a Prezi presentation on Toulmin’s argument, (claim, reason, warrant, backing, grounds, qualifiers, rebuttals), groups re-examine the format, and then individuals craft an argument essay in response to Lord Chesterfields...
Curated OER
Teaching Debate to ESL Students
Language learners use the debate format to practice formulating, expressing, and defending their ideas. Working in teams, class members develop resolutions, use opinion indicators to express their opinions and reasons, and prepare...
Carolina K-12
The Results are In! Examining Our First Vote Election
The 2016 election is over, and now it's time to dig in to some data! An activity revolves around data gathered from the First Vote Project in North Carolina wherein thousands of learners voted. After diving in to the data using provided...
Curated OER
A Goldfish is the Best Pet
Provide your class with a list of possible topics (three are included here, but they're not exactly gripping), and polish their persuasive writing skills. This plan really emphasizes the prewriting process, and several graphic organizers...
Curated OER
Reading Comprehension 4
Ever needed a reason to stop eating meat? Read this interesting (and slightly disgusting) passage with your class to assess reading comprehension.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Why are Cartoonists Vital to Democracy
A thought-provoking activity doesn't prompt learners to analyze a political cartoon, but rather the importance of political cartoonists in general. They work together and discuss the role cartoonists play in the democratic system. Use...
US National Archives
WWII: The Pacific 1939-45 – Japan and the Atom Bomb
Though the scientists who developed the atom bomb did not believe it should be used to end World War II, American President Harry S. Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill were of like mind in their decision to drop the bomb...
Curated OER
Introducing the Essay: Twain, Douglass, and American Non-Fiction
Young scholars analyze American essayists Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass in an introduction to American literary non-fiction writing. In this essay history lesson, students identify methods for writing essays. Young scholars read and...
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program
Was Bias A Factor? Make an Argument
The ability to analyze an argument is a skill emphasized by the Common Core standards. Offer your class an opportunity to develop and hone their skills by providing them the testimonies in an Oregon court case. After reading the facts of...
Arts Midwest
The Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe: Biographical Criticism and the Speaker of a Poem
Author's are often influenced by events in their own lives as they write. Use Edgar Allan Poe's poems "Ulalume" and "Annabel Lee" to take a look at how the death of Poe's wife affected his poetry. Ask students to discuss and compare the...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Frederick Douglass’s Narrative: Myth of the Happy Slave
The firsthand accounts of what it was like to be an enslaved person in the mid-1800s riveted a nation and the issue ultimately led to civil war. Using excerpts from Frederick Douglass's autobiography, budding historians examine what it...
College Board
2016 AP® Human Geography Free-Response Questions
Do your learners have the test-day jitters? Questions from the 2016 administration of the AP Human Geography exam allow for extra practice on topics such as economic activity, national identity and language, and agricultural practices....
Curated OER
Critical Consumerism
What are ads really selling? High schoolers examine persuasive techniques used by print and television advertisements. They generate a list of persuasive techniques they're familiar with, and review other types argumentation and...
Curated OER
Hair a disruption or personal expression?
When does hair (or clothing) disrupt the school process? This question is the topic of the argumentative paper your class with write. They read and react to an article about a boy who was expelled from school for sporting a Mohawk, then...
Curated OER
The Declaration and Beyond
Students are explained that they are going to use a part of Thomas Paine's 1776 pamplet Common Sense as a starting point for exploring about argumentation, or persuasive writing. They are given a copy of the excerpt. Students discuss...
Curated OER
The Man Who Made the Presidency
Students explore the contributions that George Washington made to the presidency. In this presidential history instructional activity, students analyze primary and secondary sources regarding Washington and the precedents he set....
Curated OER
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
Fourth graders discover facts about John Brown. In this Harper's Ferry Raid instructional activity, 4th graders evaluate the lyrics to the song "John Brown's Body", and write a descriptive obituary about John Brown. Students also view...
Curated OER
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry and John Brown's Body
Fourth graders discuss John's Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry. In this John Brown lesson, 4th graders analyze a newspaper article about the raid, and write a descriptive obituary about John Brown. Students view pictures of John Brown and...
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